Ore separator



H. O. LOWE ORE SEPARATOR vMay 24, 1955 Filed July 13, 1953 1m ENTOR. Har/'y 0. L o we BY )/W fd/@ ATTORNEY nted States Patent ORE SEPARATOR Harry 0. Lowe, Spokane, Wash., assignor to Theressa B. Lowe, Spokane, Wash.

Application July 13, 1953, Serial No. 367,454

4 Claims. (Cl. 209-458) This invention relates to an ore separator of the type wherein gold is separated from gravel, dirt, and the like carried through a sluice box by water flowing through the sluice box and discharged from one end thereof.

As the gold bearing material is moved through the box gravel and stones must be separated from the gold and sand and it is therefore one object of the invention to provide a sluice box having therein improved riifles along which the stones and gravel are moved by the running water and through which the heavy gold and sand pass and gather in the bottom of the box.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sluice box having therein a plurality of riffles extending longi tudinally therein one after another at an upward incline towards their front end and having their front end portions overlapping rifiles immediately in front of them so that some of the gold will tend to gather upon rear portions of the riflies as it moves from the front end of the riifles onto rear end portions of riies overlapped thereby.

It is another object of the invention to provide riiiies which are of an improved construction and each consists of a plurality of bars disposed in side by side relation to each other and diverging towards their front ends so that spaces or passages are provided between the bars which gradually increase in width towards their front ends so that as gold nuggets may readily pass through the spaces as they move forwardly along the rifes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sluice box having mounted therein a series of riilles which are firmly held in place in cooperating relation to each other and which may be easily removed when gold is to be gathered from the box.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sluice box with a cover including a frame mounted over the box and supporting a sheet formed of fabric having a pile or nap presented downwardly, a portion of the sheet forming a flap which extends downwardly into the sluice box and into water flowing through the box. This cover and its flap serves veryelfectively to catch and retain very iine gold which is known as flour gold and will float upon water and be lost by iiowing out of the discharge end of the sluice box if it were not splashed upon and held by the fabric sheet and its flap.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sluice box which is of strong and sturdy construction but of light Weight so that it may be readily transported from one place to another.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of an improved construction and arrangement of parts, one practical embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a top plan View of the improved sluice box when looking down upon the same from one side thereof with the cover removed.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken longitudinally of the sluice box along the line 2 2 of Figure 1 with the cover in place.

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Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing a portion of one of the riies in top plan.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in elevation looking at the discharge end of a riilie.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken transversely of the sluice box along the line 5-5 of Figure 2 and showing the bars of one rile in section overlapped by front ends of the bars of another riiile.

The sluice box 10 may be of any desired length and width and has a bottom 11 and side walls 12, the box being open at its inlet end 13 and at its discharge end 14. The bottom and the side walls are preferably formed of wood and in order to prevent leakage and consequent loss of gold there has been provided a metal lining 15 having a portion extending upwardly across the discharge end of the trough and forming a front wall 16 which is a great deal shorter than the side walls and preferably of less than one-half the depth of the box. Rails 17 which are formed of angle metal extend longitudinally of the box and are firmly secured against the side walls 12 with their horizontal anges projecting away from the side walls. These rails or supporting strips extend at a downward incline towards the discharge end of the box and are provided with legs 18 which rest upon the bottom of the box, the forward legs for the rails being of the same height as the front wall 16 and the upper edge face of this front wall having its opposite ends overlapped by front ends of horizontal flanges of the rails. Cross bars 19 which are formed of angle metal extend transversely of the box and at their ends rest upon the side rails 17 where they are welded in position over the legs 18.

A plurality of riles, indicated in general by the numeral 20, extend longitudinally in the box one in front of another for the full width thereof and each consists of a plurality of tubular bars 21 which are disposed side by side relation to each other as shown in Figures l and 3. The tubes or bars diverge forwardly and have their rear ends welded together, as shown at 22 in Figure 3, and their front end portions braced by a cross bar or brace 23. The cross bars or braces 23 are formed of angle metal and have depending anges along their front side edges, and upon referring to Figure 4 it will be seen that the front end portions of the tubes rest upon the braces and are secured thereto by welding 24. The tubes or bars are therefore prevented from moving transversely relative to each other and spaces or passages 25 are provided between the bars. These spaces gradually increase in width towards their front ends and as gold bearing material moves forwardly, small nuggets and other gold par'- ticles, together with sand, will move forwardly along the spaces or passages until they drop through the passages and onto the bottom of the box. As the box extends forwardly at a downward incline the gold and sand will gather against the wall 16 where it remains until removed during a cleanup operation. Any gold and gravel or small stones which reach the front end of a rile drops onto the rear end portion of the next rile, this being repeated until the front riiile is reached. The front end portion of this front riie projects from the discharge end of the box and the stones and other trash which is too large to pass through the spaces 25 drop upon the ground. When the riflies are set in place rear ends of the tubes or bars 21 rest upon the cross bars 19 in abutting engagement with front surfaces of the flanges thereof and front end portions of the tubes rest upon the upper edges of the iianges so that the riffles are supported at an upward incline towards their front ends. The depending flanges of the braces 23 engage rear surfaces of the upstanding flanges of the cross bars 19 and prevent the riffles from shifting forwardly out of their proper positions.

Gold deposits contain a certain quantity of very tine gold known as our gold. ln order that this flour gold which floats upon water flowing through the box may be recovered, the box is provided with a cover 26. This cover consists of a frame 27 mounted upon the box and a sheet of fabric 23 resting upon the frame. The frame has side bars Z9 supported by legs 39 secured to the side walls 12, and between the side bars 29 extend cross bars 31. The sheet of fabric is woven and has a pile or knap which is similar to that of a carpet. When the cover or fabric sheet is placed upon the supporting frame its pile is presented downwardly as shown in Figure 2. Referring to this ligure, it will be seen that sheet of fabric is longer than the frame and has a free forward end portion which extends downwardly into the front end of the box over the front end portion of the forward rittle and forms a flap 32, its surface bearing the pile presented reai wardly. As the water flows rapidly forwardly through the box it is splashed upwardly and carries with it the our gold. This tine flour gold clings to the pile of the fabric sheet where it is held until removed by thoroughly washing the fabric sheet after removal thereof from the frame or by burning the sheet until the sheet is entirely consumed and only the tine gold remains. lt will thus be seen that when this device is in use the nuggets and coarse gold will be caught and retained in the box and the fine flour gold caught by the fabric cover.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. An ore separator comprising a sluice box having an open rear end and consisting of a bottom and side walls and a short wall across its front end of appreciably less height than the side walls, side rails extending longitudinally in said box along the side walls at a downward incline towards their front ends and at their front ends being level with the front wall, cross rails in said box spaced from each other longitudinally thereof and at their ends resting upon the side rails, said cross rails having upstanding flanges along their rear edges, a series of separators in said box extending longitudinally therein one in front of another and each consisting of a plurality of tubular bars disposed in side by side relation to each other and having rear ends resting upon a cross bar against the front face of the angc thereof and their front end portions resting upon the flange of a cross bar and projecting forwardly therefrom in overhanging relation to another separator, the bars of each separator being rigidly mounted upon a bracing bar bearing against the rear surface of the cross bar upon which front end portions of the tubular bars rest, the bracing bars holding the tubular bars of the separator in forwardly diverging relation to each other and thereby providing narrow spaces gradually increasing in width towards the front end of the separator, a frame mounted over said box, and a fabric cover resting upon said frame and having its front end portion free and extending downwardly into the front end of the box and terminating close to the front end of the front separator, the said fabric cover having a nap projecting from its under surface and serving to catch our gold floating upon water owing through the box.

2. An ore separator comprising a sluice box open at front and rear ends and having a short end wall across its front end, rails extending longitudinally in said box, cross bars in said box spaced from each other longitudinally of the box and supported by said rails, riffles extending between said cross bars and each consisting of longitudinally extending tubes disposed in side by side relation to each other and disposed at an upward incline towards their front ends, the tubes of each ritfle gradually diverging forwardly and having their front end por tions overlapping rear portions of the tubes of a rife in front of the said rilfle, and a cover for the box consisting of a frame and a sheet of fabric carried thereby with the front end portion of the sheet extending downwardly and forming a ap having its lower end portion disposed within the box and terminating above and close to the front end of the forward riffle.

3. An ore separator comprising a sluice box open at its front end, cross bars mounted in said box transversely thereof in upwardly spaced relation to its bottom and having upstanding anges along their rear sideedges, riles in said box one in front of another and each consisting of a plurality of tubular bars disposed in side by side relation to each other and diverging forwardly to provide passage between the tubes gradually increasing in width towards their front ends, braces extending transversely of said tubes and secured to under surfaces thereof, said rifes having rear ends of their tubes resting upon the cross bars and abutting front surfaces of their flanges, front end portions of the tubes of each rife resting upon upper edge of a cross bar and projecting forwardly over the tubes of the rile in front of it, and a cover for the sluice box including a fabric sheet having a free front end portion extending downwardly into the front end of the box and terminating close to the forward one of said riles.

4, An ore separator comprising a sluice box open at its front end, cross bars mounted in said box transversely thereof in upwardly spaced relation to its bottom and having upstanding anges along their rear side edges, rifes in said box one in front of another and each consisting of a plurality of tubular bars disposed in side by side relation to each other and diverging forwardly to provide passage between the tubes gradually increasing in width toward their front ends, braces extending transversely of said tubes and secured to under surfaces thereof, said riffles having rear ends of their tubes resting upon the cross bars and abutting front surfaces of their anges, and front end portions of the tubes of each rife resting upon the upper edge of a cross bar and projecting forwardly over the tubes of the rile in front of it.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 702,956 Johnson .lune 24, 1902 1,616,473 Stebbins Feb. 8, 1927 2,106,027 Guest Jan. 18, 1938 

